ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– The power went on Eastern's campus this afternoon. After a short time without energy, the power came back on. At the same time, Eastern Field Hockey hosted the Neumann University Knights in a non-league match for the first time since 2010. The Eagles (2-2) jumped out to 3-0 lead, but needed a penalty stroke goal late in the first overtime to claim their second win of the year.
CJ Summa converted the penalty stroke with 53 seconds left in the overtime for her third goal of the match.
The deciding tally came after considerable drama in the extra frame. Early in the period, a collision near midfield resulted in an Eastern green card, and the Eagles were forced to play with only five field players for two minutes. With
Emma Kircher,
Kara Frantz, and
Paige Brouse in the back, the Eagles weathered the storm and did not allow a shot while down a player. That defensive effort, however, took its toll, and the Eagles needed a pair of big saves from first-year goalie
Angelina Catania and some strong defensive work ona. pair of penalty corners to keep the game going.
Summa and Kircher each had shots late, but it was a strong run from Karlee into the circle that created the game-winner. She used stick work to get around a pair of Neumann defenders and beat the goalie before take a foul only yards away from victory. Summa, who had converted a penalty stroke late in the fourth quarter, put her shot in to claim her second overtime game-winner. With eight goals through four games, the first year forward is putting up impressive numbers to start her career.
After the Eagles saw their early lead slip away, Summa briefly put the Eagles up with a penalty stroke goal in the 56th minute. She created a the chance with a shot that beat the Neumann goalie that a defender saved with her body on the goal line. The Knights equalized seconds later on a penalty stroke goal from Candace Conti. That tally was her third penalty stroke conversion of the match.
The Eagles needed some heroics to even get to overtime. In the final minute of play, Catania made a pair of stops and
Sammie Voelker had a defensive save on a penalty corner chance with no time on the clock. Catania finished the match with 14 saves.
The Eagles jumped to the early lead on a rebound goal from
Jenna Reider. The goal came after Howard earned a penalty corner with a strong run into the box. Five minutes later, Summa knocked in a rebound of her own shot after another penalty corner chance. The Eagles built their lead to three with more than three minutes to play in the first period.
Morgan Unruh scraped a rebound out of the goalie's pads and tucked away her first tally of the year.
The Knights got two back in the second period and tied the game on Conti's second stroke of the day with only seconds to play in the third period. The Eagles had an 11-6 edge in fourth-period shots, but Neumann goalie Emma Schneider made eight strong stops in the period and got a defensive save to keep the Eagles off the board until Summa's first stroke.
The Eagles will have the weekend off before traveling to Drew University for a night game next Tuesday.
